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Arctic sea ice, also known as frozen seawater that floats above the Artic Ocean is an important indicator of changes in global climate. The decline of Arctic sea ice during the sunnier summer months leads to increased solar radiation absorption, warms the Earth’s surface, thus causing more snow and ice to melt. This phenomenon will be investigated scientifically to improve predictions of Arctic sea ice extent, thus will support preparedness and response to heat waves and spring colds.
A research team, led by Professor Myoung-In Lee in the School of Urban and Environmental Engineering at UNIST, in collaboration with NASA in the United States, announced that they have successfully analyzed the main patterns of atmospheric circulation affecting the Arctic sea ice and found that the impact of climate changes on the Arctic sea ice has become stronger. The study uses the reanalysis and satellite observations produced by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center to find the correlation between the Arctic sea ice and the atmospheric circulation.
Atmospheric circulation is caused by regional pressure differences. In the summertime (June-August) Arctic circulation, the main consideration was “Arctic Oscillation,” where cold air vortices repeated strength and weakness. However, this study found that the phenomenon called “Arctic Dipole Vibration” had a greater effect on atmospheric circulation caused by climate change.
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